Hunter Greene has quieted Reds fans' harsh critiques, proving he's not just a thrower

Just how good does Hunter Greene have to be to escape the accusations of being “just a thrower”? Coming off his first career All-Star nod, the Cincinnati Reds’ flamethrower should get his due. This man can pitch.

Greene is in the midst of his best year to date, and that is in large part due to his shift in mentality. In the past two seasons, he ranked in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate, which is entirely understandable for a guy throwing 100-plus mph. In 2024, his strikeout rate has dropped to the 81st percentile, and instead, he is generating far more soft contact.

A shift in focus from overpowering hitters to limiting solid contact has improved Hunter Greene’s results in 2024.

Greene’s hard-hit rate of 33.3% ranks 11th in the Majors among qualified starters, and he has a higher average pitch velocity than any of the players ranked above him. Of the 12 players that average more than 92 mph, Greene’s hard-hit rate is the lowest by 1.6 percent.

Some of this can be attributed to Greene’s two newest pitches: the curveball and splitter. In years past, he used his fastball and slider 95% of the time. Hitters could sit dead-red, and if they could catch up to Greene’s heat, they could punish him for his lack of versatility. His fastball yielded a slugging percentage above .500 in 2022 and ‘23. While the splitter is still a work in progress and the curveball has only been used 41 times this season, both pitches give Greene’s plus-slider something to play off of.

In addition to Greene’s revamped arsenal, his stamina and ability to pitch deep into games has improved. He has completed six innings in 13 of his 20 starts this season. He has been particularly effective in July, during which he holds a 0.45 ERA over three starts (20 innings). If the Reds do entertain offers on Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez at the trade deadline, they’ll need Greene to continue being a workhorse.

Despite these positive results, Greene still has work to do. His 48 walks so far this year tie the mark in each of his previous two seasons. He still can get burned by the big fly. But if the past month has proven anything, Greene, just 24 years old, is already building on his All-Star start to the season.

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